Assemblege Art

Proposal/Fireseed Anthology/Planting Movements

Robert Rauschenberg was an artist in the 1950’s and 60’s. Rauschenberg’s oft-repeated quote that he wanted to work “in the gap between art and life,” suggested a questioning of the distinction between art objects and everyday objects when he began experimenting with assemblages that broke down barriers between painting and sculpture by incorporating everyday objects such as Coca-Cola bottles, clothing, newspaper clippings, taxidermied animals, and photographs into his work.

Rauschenberg took found objects and created art with them rather than casting a mold and melting down materials into the mold. In the past, I think what we in the campus ministry have deemed transferable has too often become a mold in which all should fit. We go onto campuses and into our years with strategic plans, full calendars, and pre-designed resources that allow little room for anything fresh, unique or custom made…sometimes it feels that if the Holy Spirit did want to move in a new way He would have to make sure it fit in conveniently between appointments.

I think taking a cue from this post-modern artist would inform us well about planting transformational communities in a post-modern matrix.

Perhaps as we go onto non-believers turf, rather than imposing molds we work with God in creating something fresh with the raw souls before us. We seek to create a fresh work within an existing network of people…with the personalities, gifts, languages that are there. We do not ask these people to conform to the mold of Campus Crusade culture yet let Christ make them a new creation, redeeming His handi-work as unique and beautiful as individuals within a greater work of art…and even this work( this local community) within the greater body of work, the Body of Christ.

We seek to orchestrate and create being flexible and responsive to the uniqueness of each community and what each part offers.